Mom Teaches Compassion While Living With Lupus
my world • moms making a difference
When you live with a chronic autoimmune disease like Lupus, life can be challenging. Buttons on your kid’s shirts can be a battle, shoe laces can tie your fingers up in knots and the exhaustion can sometimes threaten to knock you down.
But when you are a mom like Allison Czarnecki, you choose to battle uphill while teaching your kids to have a compassionate heart. Allison doesn’t hesitate when telling you how she feels about the disease, “I hate it,” she says emphatically. “Day to day is no fun; I almost always feel like I have a low-grade flu: whole body aches, painful joints, migraines, extreme exhaustion.” But she doesn’t let it stop her, and even more amazing – she, in part, credits Lupus for helping her to create such strong, independent children.
Allison has a 9 year old daughter and 4 year old son. She is married to the love of her life – and together, they are teaching their children to master small acts of kindness on a daily basis. She explains, ” I make my children share, even though they hate it. Throughout the year, I keep my eyes open for ways they can serve others, even if it is something small like returning a grocery cart for a mother with full hands or opening a door for someone”.
Recognizing that being a mom allowed her to ‘be involved in the life of another being right from the very beginning’, Allison pays close attention to her children – enjoying the beauty of watching them grown while acknowledging that it isn’t easy.
She is active in the P.T.A and her church and swears she would take her kids to build houses every Saturday if Habitat for Humanity would let her!
The founder and editor of Petit-Elefant, a site, ‘meant to help the modern parent navigate parenting’, Allison is also a co-hostess of an amazing party set as a ‘welcome’ to BlogHer: the Social Luxe Lounge. The party will celebrate and pamper! Stop by to visit if you will be there.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
What a great post. I am a mother living with Lupus myself, and it is not easy. I can relate to the challenges that daily life brings. You don’t want to have to tell your kids “No”, just because your body physically won’t let you do something with them. Thank you for sharing this… it’s nice to see another mom not letting Lupus hold her back.
Sometimes I forget you have Lupus, Allison, as I don’t see it taking you over. You are so strong and it shows in your kids too. What a great article!
What a sweet article, thank you Danielle! Christina, it flat out stinks doesn’t it? But I won’t let it take me while I have something to say about it!
I love my good friend Allison, and yes, she’s a powerhouse of a woman! That girl goes and goes and goes–and does it all with style. She is truly amazing and I’m one of her biggest fans!
Allison is wonderful, always so concerned about others and genuine, such a great woman.
What a kind post about Allison. I can’t imagine doing all that she does feeling like I had a low grade flu all of the time. Uhmazing woman!!
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